Clean Energy In the News

As federal stimulus money for "green" projects begins to roll into Georgia, an environmental group is holding up Athens-Clarke County as an example of how to spend it.

The Athens-Clarke government, along with Atlanta and Savannah, are the cutting edge for proposed stimulus projects that are environmentally friendly and energy-efficient, says a report released Monday by the nonprofit advocacy group Environment Georgia.

Georgia will receive $533 million from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that can be used for green projects like mass transit, weatherizing homes and renovating public buildings, according to Environment Georgia.

"It's a big increase, and cities need to be on the ball to get this money and use it the right way," said Jennette Gayer, the group's director.

A $130 million grant to the Georgia Environmental Facilities Agency alone is enough to replace doors and windows, seal leaks and cracks, replace heating and cooling systems and install insulation for 160,000 homes, saving $183 million in energy costs, cutting 160,000 tons of pollution and creating an estimated 6,760 jobs.

Environment Georgia cited several projects on Athens-Clarke officials' stimulus wish list in its 13-page report, "Green and Shovel Ready."

They include plans to request funding to expand Athens Transit bus service, convert buses and trucks to run on cleaner-burning biodiesel fuel, build bus stop shelters and add solar panels to government buildings.

County officials are seeking federal funding to add solar panels to a recently expanded water treatment plant and three planned sewer plants, Athens-Clarke Mayor Heidi Davison said.

"We might be able to put solar panels on the water treatment plant to pump water out into the community," Davison said. "It probably uses more power than anything else in the community, which is typical for a water treatment plant."

Solar panels already power traffic lights in Athens, and many buses run on biodiesel. The county is seeking grants to retrofit an additional 10 buses, 60 trucks and 14 fire trucks to run on biodiesel.

While most of the stimulus funding will be awarded competitively, Athens-Clarke County already has received $1.1 million in federal block grant funding for energy efficiency and conservation. Officials have not decided how to spend that money yet, Davison said, but the grants can be used for retrofitting homes, businesses and government offices, energy audits, revising building codes, bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly transportation or other measures that will reduce energy consumption, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

However, Athens-Clarke County will need more than $1.1 million to follow through on its plans, Davison said.

"1.1 won't go far," she said.